


A Natural Sanctuary

by firefly_quill



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aokigahara forest, Hanzo Shimada is a Little Shit, Jesse McCree is a Little Shit, M/M, Pre-Recall, Talk of sex, appearance of penis for comic value, implied sex, spirit boofs - Freeform, they deserve each other, vague mentions of suicide (but neither character is suicidal)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 23:48:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14175993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly_quill/pseuds/firefly_quill
Summary: Jesse McCree just needs a place to lie low for a while, but the forest's resident spirit wolf isn't having it.





	A Natural Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Niqui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niqui/gifts), [FaiaHae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaiaHae/gifts).



> Hi everyone,
> 
> This one was a bit of a struggle. I'm so grateful to Niqui, whose brilliant suggestions made this story much more fun and much less angsty! Many thanks to Faiahae as well for beta-ing, and fixing the ending that just didn't seem right (if the ending still doesn't seem right, that's totally on me!). 
> 
> Comments are much appreciated and cherished! <3

Sometimes Jesse McCree wished his life were *actually* uneventful. It wasn’t easy being an outlaw with international bounties and warrants for his arrest. The world was a big place, but it became a bit smaller every time one of his hideouts was compromised. Joining Blackwatch had swept his slate clean, but a man could get into a lot of trouble when there was justice to dispense and no organization to back you while you were dispensing it. So it became a part-time hobby of sorts: seeking out locations where he could lie low until the authorities and bounty hunters lost interest. 

In the years after the omnic crisis, Aokigahara Forest had lost its appeal to those looking to take their own lives. There had always been whispers about how the lands were haunted, but recently, these tales became far more frequent, and far more harrowing.

Jesse wasn’t worried. It’d take more than a few ghost stories to make him turn tail, and the situation made the forest even more desirable as a temporary hideout, as it was pretty much abandoned. In fact, he was looking forward to taking residence there for a few weeks.

A delicate rain began to fall just as Jesse reached the entrance of the forest. The raindrops were just slightly cooler than the current temperature, and they made the air smell distinctly of spring and soil. A large sign met him at the entrance of the forest path, written in Japanese. Jesse’s research had explained this to be a final plea to those who entered Aokigahara seeking a final resting place: turn away from death—return to the land of the living and those who love you. The words were neither here nor there for McCree: there was no one left for him out there, but neither had he come here to die.

The path led up a gentle incline. The low, mossy greens paved the way to the tall, slender trees that first greet hikers. There was something incredibly old about the land, and yet something incredibly revitalizing.

Jesse hummed, adjusting his hat as he made his way along the path.

The air became heavier and wetter the further he ventured. The slender trees grew denser, but thicker still were the moss-covered roots that twisted and tangled at his feet beside low ferns. A cluster of older roots curved along a fallen tree, creating sizeable overhang. Jesse decided that this would be the perfect place to set up camp for a while, if not the whole evening. 

He had just finished brushing aside some of the debris when a soft growl from behind him made the hair on his neck stand on end. Jesse froze, rising to his full height slowly so as not to spook the animal. While he knew it made no difference to the creature, he raised both hands on instinct (having been on the surprise-end of too many gun-fights), while his mind began to reach for an escape plan.

He turned slowly to find a huge white wolf baring his teeth in warning. The wolf’s coat had an almost iridescent glow, and was streaked with golden markings that curled under his eyes and around his front left leg. His long tail flicked violently, puffed up in threat.

“Beautiful,” Jesse couldn’t stop himself from murmuring. McCree’s work had brought him around the world, to town and country, but never had he seen a creature so majestic.

The wolf hesitated, and drew back just an inch. He tilted his head in a way that almost suggested that he was confused before doubling down in menace again.

“Whoa there,” McCree tried soothingly. “I get it, I get it. I’m in your territory. Just give me some space, and I’ll be on my way.”

For every step he took backwards, the wolf took one forwards, but the animal always kept pace, and never advanced closer. They travelled several feet like this before Jesse decided to test something stupid and dangerous. His foot caught intentionally on an exposed root and he tumbled backwards on to his elbows.

The wolf came to a full stop with a loud growl. He pushed his nose forward while baring his teeth and snarled viciously.

Jesse didn’t move. The wolf tried again.

“You’re _not_ tryin’ to eat me,” Jesse concluded.

The growling intensified, and the wolf took a full step forward to suggest that he really could if he wanted to.

“But you won’t,” Jesse added, almost in response to the wolf’s non-verbal cue. He felt silly immediately afterwards. Of course the animal couldn’t understand him. 

The wolf rumbled again with threat. His eyes began to glow a bright blue, so much so that Jesse knew it was more than just a trick of light.

McCree whistled, long and low, but remained less impressed than was perhaps prudent. He had seen a man control a spirit dragon in Blackwatch, after all, and had seen his fair share of the supernatural even afterwards. A spirit wolf was just part of another typical day in his life. “Guess them ghost stories were true.”

The wolf threw his head up and howled. The entire forest seemed to reverberate with the long cry, amplifying it until it was as though a dozen wolves were howling back.

Jesse inched backwards and scrambled to his feet. The wolf turned his attention back to him and began to advance.

“Now just wait a minute,” Jesse stopped again, and wondered at why he thought addressing the wolf would get him anywhere. “You just threw your voice, didn’t you?”

If wolves could look just absolutely done, Jesse guessed that was the expression he was seeing right now.

“You don’t got friends out there,” Jesse guessed. “If you did, you woulda called them over right away.”

The wolf began to growl louder. He gnashed his teeth, snapping at the corner of Jesse’s serape.

“Listen, you want me to get, I’ll get,” Jesse said, hoping that his calm was contagious. “No need to get all riled up.”

He figured that the wolf would give up as soon as Jesse had left his territory, but then again, he’d never been herded by a wolf this way before, so part of him wasn’t sure what to expect. He certainly didn’t think that he would be shepherded back to the forest entrance.

“You can’t possibly think all this is yours?” Jesse snorted.

The wolf growled low, stopping at the path’s end. Jesse took a tentative step forward and the wolf gave a harsh snarl.

They stood at an impasse. Jesse crossed his arms, sure now that the wolf didn’t really mean to hurt him. Neither was it going to allow him back into the forest, however. Jesse eventually threw his hands up in defeat. He waved over his shoulder before making his way towards the abandoned visitor’s centre he had passed on his way to the forest. While he didn’t look back, he could feel eyes fixed on the back of his neck until he was out of sight.

\---

The next morning, Jesse woke to a sharp twang in his back. He winced, and nearly rolled off the counter he had decided to use as his hard and very uncomfortable bed. His neck and back were killing him and despite his life experiences, he was of the current belief that this was the worst way to die. By some small miracle, at least, the visitor’s centre had a bathroom with a working shower. After spending a whole hour trying to stretch his body back into alignment, he reflected on the ridiculous situation.

A perfectly rational, perfectly sound voice in his head pointed out that the visitor’s centre wasn’t a bad place to camp out. That perfectly stubborn, staunchly competitive voice, the one that had landed him in Deadlock and then Blackwatch, decided otherwise.

After munching on a pack of rations and peanuts for breakfast, he adjusted his hat, and marched towards the forest again, determined not to be bested by some ghost dog. He was surprised, and slightly dismayed when he was greeted by two of them.

He had barely made it onto the forest grounds before he felt the air around him vibrate with an indecipherable force that shook through his bones. There was a familiar growl, but instead of the large white wolf, he was now stopped by two translucent blue ones.

“Well, howdy,” Jesse greeted them carefully. They rumbled angrily in unison.

“Wasn’t expectin’ two of ya,” Jesse admitted, taking a small step back, and reaching under his serape. They pressed their bodies lower, as though getting ready to strike.

“Figured I’d run into your friend. Big white one? Short temper?” He held up one hand as a sign of peace that they would likely not understand. “Brought him this.”

The wolves huffed when Jesse revealed the pack of beef jerky he had found in the visitor’s gift shop. They sniffed the air, ears perking up. Perhaps Jesse should have been surprised that the two wolves began to solidify in form, but to be honest, very little surprised him these days. They sat like well-trained puppies, eyes widening, tails waving in the air expectantly, all menace melting away.

“Now I kinda wish I brought more. But you two can share, right?” Jesse grinned, and threw the meat over their heads and behind them. The wolves gave a quick yip before sprinting for the jerky. Chuckling at their enthusiasm, Jesse turned to slip away quietly, and nearly ran straight into the jaws of the larger white wolf.

Jesse yelped and jumped backwards. 

“Now hold on,” Jesse protested. “That there treat was for you.”

The wolf took a quick step forward and bared his teeth as though he took offense.

“Okay, not a treat. Gift?” Jesse tried.

Another growl.

“Tribute?”

The wolf snorted.

“You sure are stubborn,” Jesse muttered, as he took several steps back. “But then again, so am I.”

It was then that the wolf made a fatal error. He began to glow brighter and brighter still, until Jesse was forced to cover his eyes. When he opened them again, the wolf was gone. In his place was a man wearing a wolf’s head cowl who was just as striking and majestic as the creature before, and who had angular features that cut straight to Jesse’s heart.

“ _Oh._ ”

“Seeing that you lack self-preservation, perhaps it is time that I talk some sense into you.” The man’s voice was deep and resonated with something in Jesse’s stomach that he didn’t even know was there.

Jesse didn’t have a great track record with animals. There was that episode with a pack of monkeys in heat that Genji never let him live down, for instance. But a man? A demon, maybe? A gorgeous one at that? Gabe often joked that Jesse could charm the pants off the devil himself, and he sure was ready and willing to try.

“Well, hello there!” Jesse tipped his hat.

The wolf ignored his greeting. “You are trespassing.”

“I’m only lookin’ to lie low for a while,” Jesse promised, lifting both hands as a sign of peace. “And I’ll follow whatever rules you like while I stay.”

“Unacceptable,” The wolf barked. Jesse’s lips quirked up as he realized it wasn’t so different from his actual bark. A twitch in the wolf’s eyebrow signaled that he had caught Jesse’s amusement and deduced its source. His frown deepened. “Leave at once.”

The wolf’s second mistake was revealing himself to be such a stick in the mud. Gabe had also once grumbled about Jesse’s unique skills in getting under the skin of such people. In truth, Reyes hadn’t minded so much, seeing that Jesse’s most common victim had been the strike commander.

“I hear ya,” Jesse nodded knowingly. “Price to be paid. So how does this work, exactly? You want access to my body once a week or…”

The wolf’s cheeks turned bright crimson.

“Why would it ever occur to you that I would ask for something like that?”

“So you _would_ ask for somethin’,” Jesse hummed, seeing that the wolf had not refuted him. “Just a matter of how much.”

“What. No!”

“Now I might not be as young as I once was, but for a gorgeous man like you, I’d reckon I could handle twice a week.”

“Stop this.”

“Three times a week?”

“Cease!”

The wolf’s entire face had turned pink and he was having trouble maintaining eye contact.

“I get it,” Jesse nodded again solemnly. “You wanna talk quality, not just quantity. I’ll have you know—”

With a snarl, the other man lunged forward, pinning Jesse to a tree and pressing his arm hard against Jesse’s throat.

Jesse croaked and his eyes rolled backwards with exaggeration. The wolf immediately retracted some of the pressure.

“Breath…”

The wolf took half a step back, his forehead creased with concern.

“Breathplay is okay,” Jesse wheezed.

There was one, clear moment of “yes” that flickered across the wolf’s expression that Jesse filed away for future reference before he was swiftly punched in the chest.

“Leave,” The wolf repeated. “I will not ask nicely again.”

“That’s okay. I like it a bit rough!” Jesse wheezed after his quickly retreating form. Jesse grinned, as he could practically picture the wolf’s tail between his legs.

\---

Jesse figured that the wolf wasn’t really going to hurt him, as he hadn’t done so yet despite being given the chance. He was also confident that he had managed to buy himself a few days of peace just by causing the poor creature so much embarrassment. What Jesse hadn’t counted on, however, was the wolf’s ability to play dirty.

A few days later, Jesse decided that he was overdue for a bath. He had set himself up in a small cave next to a river, and decided that it was finally warm enough to brave the crisp water. He didn’t want to risk going back to the visitor’s centre, as the wolf might have taken it as a sign of Jesse admitting defeat.

Jesse stripped and folded his clothes, setting them on a nearby rock. He had just become accustomed to the temperature of the water, when he heard the dry voice from behind him.

“Greetings.”

Jesse yelped, and spun around to find the wolf in human form, leaning against a tree, arms crossed. 

“Howdy,” Jesse replied with some trepidation. There was a look on the wolf’s face that he couldn’t quite pin and he didn’t much like.

“Look, feels like we started on the wrong foot last time. The name’s Jesse. Jesse McCree.” McCree extended his hand, taking several steps forward so that the level of water dipped dangerously low on his hips. He grinned as he watched the wolf swallow hard. The man rolled his eyes upward in annoyance, and took the opportunity to turn away.

“Are you enjoying my river, Jesse McCree?”

“Quite nice,” Jesse answered carefully. He stretched his arms behind his back to flex his muscles. “You lookin’ for a show or…”

“Of course not,” The wolf interrupted sharply. His cheeks once again flushed pink. “I just couldn’t help but notice that you are making yourself far too comfortable.”

“Aww, are you watchin’ me?” Jesse cooed.

“I am always watching you,” Hanzo frowned. “You would have already been eaten otherwise.”

“Naw, I can take care of myself. Appreciate the concern though,” Jesse winked.

“Yes, you do seem extraordinarily _comfortable_ in nature.”

Something about the way the man delivered those words didn’t sit right. Jesse watched the wolf sidle up to his clothes, and his heart sank.

“Surely a man who is so insistent on living in nature would prefer to do so…naturally,” The wolf said nonchalantly.

Jesse’s eyes slid from his clothes back to the wolf and it was his turn to sweat. “Now see here—”

“Give me your word that you will leave without returning, and I will allow you to leave with your belongings,” The wolf commanded.

“You ain’t playin’ fair!” Jesse complained.

“I am not playing at all,” The man replied haughtily. “Give me your word.”

“No.” Jesse tilted his chin up, defiant.

The wolf flashed his teeth as though this was the answer he had wanted anyway. He reached for Jesse’s clothes.

“You wouldn’t dare—” Jesse scrambled, but wasn’t fast enough.

The wolf’s movements were too quick for human eyes to track. He had disappeared before Jesse even saw him move. The son of a bitch left him his hat, and only his hat.

\---

Later that evening, as Jesse grumbled to himself, huddled close to the fire in an attempt to dry off and keep warm, he couldn’t stop the amusement bubbling up in his chest as he pondered his next move. He had to admire the wolf’s tactics—it was too similar to something he himself might have tried. But what now?

Jesse carefully combed over the memories of their previous conversations, and his mind began to wander from their words to the wolf’s quick wit, his equally quick concern for Jesse’s well-being, his sharp eyes, angular cheekbones, broad chest…

And just like that, due to an unwanted and purely accidental physical reaction, Jesse had his answer.

The wolf was _always_ watching.

Now there was an idea worth exploring. If the wolf was so adamant on surveillance, he might as well give him something worth surveilling.

Jesse made sure he was close enough to his campfire, not entirely sure how well the wolf saw in the dark. He leaned back on the cave wall. Throwing the hat that previously covered his crotch to the side, he ran his fingers along his already half-hard cock.

“Maybe you can tell me your name next time,” he called to no one in particular with a smirk, while stroking himself to full hardness. “So that I can add it to the show.”

\---

The next morning, Jesse found his boxers and pants folded neatly outside the cave. He burst into laughter when he realized there was a 1000-yen bill tucked into the back pocket of his pants that hadn’t been there before.

Counting the victory as his, Jesse decided to wander even further into the forest. He started the day by stretching for a lengthy period of time to showcase his back and abs, in case the wolf was still watching. He guessed the return of his pants meant that he was, and Jesse found himself unexpectedly pleased by this idea.

He ducked out of his cave again to find the two blue wolves seated in the flesh, tails waving high like flags.

“Mornin’,” He tried with a grin, not certain yet where he stood with the twins.

They barked and stood, tails still wagging.

“We good now?” Jesse asked.

Another bark. One began to circle in place. The other turned and took a few galloping steps.

“Oh, you wanna play?” Jesse teased. “I gotta go check my traps for breakfast.”

One of the wolves whined before pouncing away. The other followed, turning his head to make sure that Jesse would follow as well.

Jesse sighed and waved for him to lead on.

The wolves nipped at each other as they ran deftly through the forest grounds, always making sure that Jesse wasn’t too far behind. They stopped at a lush green clearing. Jesse had picked up a stick along the way, and threw it, wondering whether the supernatural animals would be above playing fetch. Clearly they were not, as they bounded after the stick together, fighting to be the one to return it to Jesse. The late spring sun managed to filter through the trees, just warm enough to make the temperature pleasant even without a shirt.

The wolves began to wrestle with each other for the stick, and Jesse took the opportunity to take a break, sitting to lean against a vine-covered tree stump.

“Greetings.”

Jesse jumped, turning to find the white wolf behind him again. The man handed him a flask with water, which Jesse accepted gratefully. 

“I’m gonna have to tie a bell on you, darlin’,” Jesse replied before returning the flask.

“Hanzo,” The wolf corrected him.

“Pardon?” Jesse’s face lit up, realizing what was being offered, but asking so he could hear the name again.

“My name is Hanzo.”

“Well, hello there, Hanzo,” Jesse grinned and tipped his hat.

“You are looking well,” Hanzo’s gaze dipped down appreciatively at Jesse’s naked torso before returning to meet his eyes, and McCree couldn’t help but preen. He pressed his shoulders back to accentuate his chest muscles. The wolf licked his lips, but caught himself, and clenched his jaw instead.

“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Jesse hummed.

“I wouldn’t get used to it,” Hanzo replied dryly.

Jesse was so heartened by this new playfulness that he had forgotten what it meant the previous time.

“Are you enjoying my grove?” Hanzo inquired.

“It’s mighty fine,” Jesse nodded, leaning so that his naked back was against a vine covered tree. “Tend to it yourself?”

“No,” Hanzo replied.

“No?”

“No. I do not come here often.”

“Why not?” Jesse tilted his head up too late to see the mischievous smile.

The wolf shrugged. “The poison ivy.”

Jesse swallowed hard. “The what now?”

“You might reconsider taking residence in a place you know so little about.” Hanzo examined the tip of one of his arrows with false interest.

“You’re bluffing,” Jesse frowned.

“You’ll find out in about an hour’s time,” Hanzo flashed his teeth in what Jesse realized was a grin. “Have a good afternoon.”

He turned to leave, barking a command at the two wolves, who trotted obediently towards him.

“I trusted you two,” Jesse accused them as they walked past. It might have been his imagination, but their heads and tails drooped slightly, even though they did not turn to face him.

Jesse began to scratch at his back out of reflex. Muttering various profanities under his breath, he ran towards the nearest river, to seek the soothing coolness of the water.

\---

A few days later, after most of the scabs had subsided, Jesse decided it was time to have a serious conversation with Hanzo. He had retreated to the visitor’s centre in search of some sort of lotion for the poison ivy, and had spent several days sulking, once again refusing to concede that it was much easier staying indoors. He had found a cheesy souvenir t-shirt featuring an anime tree that he actually found in bad taste, given the forest’s reputation. It was also two sizes too small, but Jesse figured it would do for now.

Grabbing a few supplies late one evening, he set off again for the forest entrance, suspecting that Hanzo had to sleep some time, and betting that his spirit wolves kept watch while he did so. Jesse doubted that Hanzo would take well to being summoned, but perhaps the wolves could convince him of Jesse’s good will.

Jesse stopped short of entering the forest bounds and tried several short whistles.

Nothing.

Rolling his eyes, he took out another pack of beef jerky and held it up above his head. The wolves appeared before he could blink. They sat in front of him, tails waving expectantly.

Jesse snorted. “Naw, only good pups get treats.”

They had the gall to whine at him.

“You could make it up to me,” he offered, considering the jerky in his hand. “I’d like to talk to him.”

One of the wolves let out a short “boof” and stood to retreat a few steps with uncertainty.

“I don’t wanna hurt him,” Jesse explained. “Just wanna figure out why he’s so prickly about me staying.”

The wolf huffed again.

The other one barked at the first. They engaged in a short conversation that Jesse did not understand.

“Neutral place, you choose. No more poison ivy though,” Jesse warned.

They ducked their heads, once again looking almost guilty.

“Come back here in three hours if he agrees. I’ll be waitin’.” Jesse tore the jerky into two pieces. He threw the meat and chuckled as the wolves scrambled after it with a yip.

\---

To be honest, Jesse hadn’t expected the wolves to succeed, but there they stood waiting for him three hours later, exactly where he had been standing before.

“Lead on, then,” Jesse waved them forward.

One of the wolves gave a sharp bark before they bound away together.

Jesse followed them to a different grove, one that did not have the same leafy green growth as the previous, to Jesse’s relief. Hanzo was leaning against a tree.

“Hello there!” Jesse called cheerfully.

“They say you wished to speak with me,” Hanzo answered once again without a proper greeting.

“Right,” Jesse rubbed at his neck, not prepared to arrive at the point quite so quick. “Just wonderin’ why you hated me so much.”

“I do not hate you.”

Jesse was surprised to find the words genuine.

“Then why are you so against havin’ me here?”

Hanzo made a dismissive sound. “I am trying to save your life.”

“Beg pardon, what now?”

“You will not find peace in the death you seek here,” Hanzo said with some insistence.

Jesse continued to look at him blankly. “Look, this is some misunderstandin’. I’m not lookin’ to die.”

“You are lying,” Hanzo snorted. “I can sense these things.”

“If I were lookin’ to die, why would I be hidin’ in your shitty forest and not facing down the troop of bounty hunters after my hide, dead or alive?” Jesse countered.

Hanzo blinked.

Jesse took his silence to mean he finally understood but should have known better.

“My forest is not shitty.”

Jesse raised his hands to his face.

“For years, people have come to this place to end their lives,” Hanzo continued. “And I have stopped them. I can sense when they feel as though there is no one left to live for.”

Jesse began to laugh. “You have a supernatural ability to sense *loneliness*?”

Hanzo crossed his arms and looked away defensively. “It is not as ridiculous as you would make it seem.”

Jesse bit his tongue to stop himself from chuckling fondly but couldn’t hold back his smile. “Well, you’re not wrong there, but that’s a far walk from me wantin’ to end my life.”

Hanzo shot him a suspicious glare.

“You’re right, there’s no one out there for me, they’re all gone.” Jesse swallowed down the lump that always bottled itself in his throat at the thought of it. “But there’s still work to be done. Debts to pay. The dead demand some answers, and maybe some justice. The living do too.”

An odd expression flickered across Hanzo’s face, one that almost mirrored Jesse’s own feelings, one that suggested Hanzo understood more than just in theory. Just as quickly, it was gone.

“Hn.” Hanzo looked up to the trees. “So what do you propose?”

“You let me stay here awhile, until the heat’s off my trail,” Jesse began.

“And then you will leave?”

While the suggestion was not unexpected, the underlying tone was. Hanzo sounded reluctant, uncertain—almost like he didn’t want Jesse to go. That was strange. McCree thought back to the past two weeks, when suddenly, something hit him.

He frowned. “When’s the last time you left this forest?”

“It is my duty to prevent deaths in this sacred place,” Hanzo answered loftily, revealing the truth by negation. And then, under his breath: “My penance.”

“And when’s the last time someone came here wantin’ to die?” Jesse pressed.

There was a long, telling pause.

Beside him, the wolves whined. One pushed his head under Hanzo’s arm. The other fixed his eyes on Jesse imploringly. Jesse didn’t have to think long to figure out why.

“So you’ve been given the supernatural ability to sense loneliness,” Jesse began slowly, trying to piece things together as he spoke. “And you thought it was to prevent people from killin’ themselves? You never once thought…ya know.” McCree trailed off lamely.

“What?” Hanzo asked with some irritation, but more curiosity.

“That you were given this ability to ease that loneliness instead? For these people? And for yourself?”

Beside him, Hanzo’s wolves began to bark and murmur at him. Hanzo narrowed his eyes and spoke brusquely to them in Japanese. They stopped, but continued to eye him mournfully.

“My loneliness is part of the penance,” Hanzo stood taller. “It is payment for what I have done. I cannot be trusted.”

“You seem plenty trustworthy to me,” Jesse argued. “And how long have you been payin’?” Once again, he found his answer in Hanzo’s silence.

Jesse frowned. Hanzo was a stubborn man, but he may well have met his match. There was no way that Jesse was going to allow him to punish himself any longer, even if it landed him naked in a whole patch of poison ivy all over again.

“I could go,” Jesse answered again, “And you could come with me.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened with surprise.

“If it’s redemption you want, I mean. That’s not far from what I’m after too. Any penance you gotta pay can be done on the road.”

“Ridiculous,” Hanzo scoffed. “We barely know each other.”

“I know that we get along, and that you’ve got a wicked sense of humour that I like, which is more than I can say for a lotta folks.”

Hanzo remained silent, and Jesse knew that he would have to be the one to take the first leap.

“Let me stay here for a couple of months,” Jesse suggested. “If by the end, you wanna part ways, then so be it. But I’d really like a chance to know you better.”

He emphasized the true meaning of his words by taking a few steps forward and reaching tentatively for Hanzo’s hand.

Both wolves were trying to nuzzle under Hanzo’s arms now, and Jesse realized they were simultaneously trying to comfort him and encourage him to meet Jesse part way.

“ _They_ like me,” Jesse pointed out with a cheeky grin.

“They like beef jerky,” Hanzo snorted.

The wolves began to whine, although it was unclear whether it was for Hanzo’s acquiescence, or for more treats.

Finally, Hanzo allowed himself to meet Jesse’s gaze. “Very well. Two months.”

“Mighty fine!” Jesse beamed. Hanzo extended his hand just as Jesse retracted his. “Naw, where we come from, we seal deals with a kiss.”

Jesse leaned in. Hanzo did not look impressed. “Do not imagine me to be so naive. I did not spend my entire life in this forest.”

Just as McCree was about to retreat out of Hanzo’s space, however, Hanzo darted forward, entwining his arms behind Jesse’s back to prevent escape before sinking in for a searing kiss that was surprisingly tender. Jesse moaned, eyes fluttering closed as he allowed Hanzo to thoroughly explore his mouth with his tongue. Then, without any warning, Hanzo pulled back, and smirked as Jesse pressed forward to chase the kiss.

“And you’d best remember that,” Hanzo purred before stepping away.

\---

The first week passed pretty much as Jesse had expected. Hanzo left him alone, as promised, but also did not come to see him, to his disappointment. His wolves on the other hand, came by several times: once to pull him away when he accidentally found the poison ivy grove again, and one evening when it was exceptionally cold. They curled up on either side of him as he slept. McCree wondered whether they were doing so of their own will, or if Hanzo had ordered it. Either way, they seemed happy enough to receive head scratches in the morning.

The week after began with a horrendous rainstorm. Jesse weathered it the best he could in his small cave, but the wind blew the rain in sideways, soaking him to the bone and making his fire impossible. McCree was grumbling to himself when a sharp “woof” drew his attention. The spirit wolves were standing at the mouth of his cave, tails wagging, circling in the way that suggested they wanted him to follow. Jesse gathered his important belongings and held onto his hat as he tried to keep close to the wolves. They led him to a small cabin that Jesse had never seen before with candles in the window and a puffing chimney. Hanzo opened the door just as they reached it, ready to hand Jesse a towel. 

Jesse never ended up leaving. 

He tried to do his share of the work, following Hanzo during the day as he made his rounds. While Hanzo continued to attack him with his sharp words, it became more and more playful, and Jesse was more than happy to reciprocate.

They stumbled home together after an evening of star gazing, still warm and laughing from the sake they shared. Jesse tripped and fell against Hanzo’s chest. Their eyes met for one, brief, excruciating moment before their lips followed suit. 

\--- 

Two months later, Jesse woke up to the morning sun filtering past the trees and into the window of Hanzo’s cottage. He yawned, and stretched his arms towards Hanzo’s sleeping form, pulling the man into an embrace before the summer humidity set in for the day. Already awake, Hanzo turned his head up to give him a small smile.

“Good morning,” Hanzo hummed, pressing a kiss to Jesse’s lips.

“Mornin’,” Jesse mumbled happily.

“Are you enjoying my bed?” Hanzo asked wryly.

“ _Our_ bed,” Jesse corrected.

“How presumptuous,” Hanzo snorted. Jesse could see though that he was smiling. They had shared this bed for more than a month, after all.

“Just enjoyin’ *you* before the day gets too hot to do so.” Jesse nuzzled in under Hanzo’s chin.

“That has never stopped you before,” Hanzo pointed out.

“Fair.”

Hanzo smoothed Jesse’s bed-tangled hair. Jesse had known the man long enough to recognize that he was lost in thought, but also knew better than to press, so he waited.

“The heat will only get worse,” Hanzo warned, his hand deceptively calm in its repeated motion. “Perhaps…”

Jesse tilted his head, sensing that Hanzo was trying to hide his anxiousness. He kissed his wolf gently on the lips in encouragement.

“Perhaps,” Hanzo repeated. ”It is time that we left, as you had suggested?”

Jesse sat straight up, knocking Hanzo backwards in his enthusiasm. Hanzo grunted as the top of Jesse’s head hit him squarely on the nose. 

“Together?” Jesse asked, knowing already but needing to hear it.

“Together,” Hanzo confirmed shortly before being tackled by a flurry of kisses. Hanzo yelped, pawing playfully at Jesse in an attempt to stop the onslaught. “Cease this!”

“Naw, you don’t really want me to stop,” Jesse grinned, kissing Hanzo once more on the nose for good measure. Hanzo scrunched up his face and huffed, just as he would in wolf form.

“Hmph.” He rubbed his face against Jesse’s beard to wipe off the saliva. “Where do you propose that we go? I have been away from the rest of the world for a long time and will require your guidance.”

“You’ve found yourself the perfect guide, honeybee,” Jesse proclaimed proudly. “Done my fair share of travellin’. Tell me about your ideal place, and I’ll take ya there!”

In his bag, unnoticed by both of them as they continued their banter, Jesse’s Overwatch comm began to ping for the first time in ten years.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr!](https://fireflyquill.tumblr.com/)


End file.
